Shoot the Breeze
by Encarta
Summary: Chapter six up! Literati. Slow JJ. Rory and Jess never got in a car accident. Chris is back. This is the result.
1. You Mean He's Not Smart Yet?

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Shoot the Breeze: Chapter One

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**Gilmore Home: Night: After Jess's Tutoring Session**

_Ding Dong_

"That's either the pizza or the Chinese," said Rory as she stuffed more popcorn into her mouth. Both her and Lorelai's eyes were fixed on the TV. screen.

"Hope it's the pizza, I'm hungry for pizza."

"So go answer it," replied Rory while grabbing a handful of M&M's.

"No, no, no, I ordered the food." Lorelai pointed out.

"So?"

"I order it, you pay for it. It's an unwritten law."

"If it's unwritten, how do I know that you didn't just make it up?" asked Rory quizzically.

"Well it's um…" She couldn't think of a good lie, which was un-like her. Lorelai always had a story on hand. "Fine, I made it up! Now go get the food."

Rory just grabbed another handful of chips and turned her gaze back to the screen, smiling.

_Knock, Knock_

"Damn, this is one persistent delivery guy."

"Okay, one of us has to get it. How about we throw an M&M in the air and if it lands on the 'm' side you get it, and if it lands on the plain side, I get it," offered Rory.

"Sounds good to me. Here, I'll toss it." Lorelai grabbed a M&M, threw it and caught it in her mouth. "Oh look, it landed on the plain side, fancy that."

Rory just rolled her eyes and got up to answer the door. When she came back she was carrying two pizza boxes and a bottle of Pepsi.

"Tell me again why we ordered all this food?"

"I'm working on a new Gilmore tradition." Lorelai replied matter-of-factly. "Yeah, it's called 'order a lot of food for…no reason day!"

"Well that just rolls of the tongue." Rory replied sarcastically.

"Don't mock. A lot of time and energy went into this little party. I rented three _amazing _movies. I got every kind of junk food under the sun. I even convinced Luke to dump a whole pot of coffee into a mug so that I could bring it home and put it intoour coffee pot. That way it stays warm and we don't have to leave the house tonight when we need more," explained Lorelai.

"Again I ask, why?"

"Does a mother need an excuse to spoil her daughter?" Lorelai asked while batting her eyelashes innocently.

"When it's you, yes." Rory replied while shaking her head.

"Well I kind of forgot to tell you this, _but _this is technically the last all girls night were going to have for a while."

"What do mean?" Rory asked skeptically, while pressing pause on 'The Village'.

"Your dad called yesterday and told me that he broke up with Sherry and she kicked him out."

"So being the caring person that you are, you invited him to stay here?" finished Rory excitedly.

"He gets here tomorrow night so I said to my self, I said 'Lorelai, why don't you spend one last night with your daughter before Chris gets here. We can bond, mock horrible films, gain eighty pounds, you know, that kind of thing." She was happy. Correction, she was ecstatic. Chris's little girlfriend was out of the picture. She just couldn't say that enough.

"How long is he staying?" She asked happily. Of coarse she talked to Christopher once a week but seeing him in person was different.

"Don't know, as long as he needs to I guess." Lorelai replied just as cheerfully.

"Can you bring him to the dinner tomorrow? I have to tutor Jess again and I want to say hi." She noticed Lorelai's face fall at the mention of Jess. "What?"

"I thought you were done tutoring him. I mean you spent half the night with him. How much smarter does he need to get?"

"He is smart, he just needs to apply himself," she replied, semi-defensively.

"How come you are the only one who sees this?" She asked while lifting an eyebrow.

"I've told you before, you just have to get to know him. Once you do, you'll see how smart and funny he is." Rory stated, sincerely.

"Wow, listen to the Jess Fan Club over here." Lorelai mocked.

"I'm serious, he's really smart once you get him to open up." She was blushing slightly which did not go unnoticed by her mom.

"So you plan to help him study until…" She trailed off.

"Until he gets a passing grade in at least one subject."

"So this could take months, years even," replied Lorelai semi-sarcastically.

"Why are you so worried about us studying together? Everything turned out fine today." It was better then fine, it was great. But of coarse she couldn't tell her mom that. There were so many things she couldn't tell. Like how much fun it was to just talk to him about books and music or how tingly she had felt when they made eye contact in the car.

"Promise you won't get mad?" asked Lorelai nervously. She knew how Rory felt when Dean confided in her. Rory didn't like that her boyfriend had to come to her to get information. But could she help it that Dean kept coming to her? It wasn't like she was asking to get involved.

"What happened now?" Rory questioned, noticing the anxious look on her mother's face.

"Dean came to me a few days ago." She stopped giving Rory time to react, but she said nothing. "He has this crazy idea that you like Jess and I told him that they're was no way but he doesn't believe me. He's wrong right? You don't like Jess as anything more then a friend, right?" She hoped to God that Rory would say no but judging by the conflicting look that spread across her features, there would be no such luck.

"I don't know. I just…I don't know." It was hard to explain to herself, let alone her mother.

"You can tell me. You know that me and Jess don't exactly get along but if you like him, you can tell me." Lorelai reassured her.

"It's just, I might like him. I'm so confused! This wasn't supposed to happen, I was supposed to be with Dean and then Jess came with his stupid 'What is much?' and…" She trailed off, debating whether to tell her mom or not.

"And what? Did he put a move on you? I swear to God, I'll-"

Rory cut her off before she could finish. "I think we almost kissed." Lorelai just stared at her blankly.

"What do you mean, almost?" She asked skeptically.

"Well, we had just gotten back from our ice cream run-"

"Ice cream run?" repeated Lorelai, while lifting an eyebrow.

"It's a long story." Explained Rory. Remembering Jess's odd need for cones, she couldn't help but smile.

"Well then, we'll save that one for later. On with the part where you and Jess make out in the middle of the Diner." Rory looked at her mom with shock and embarrassment written all over her face. Why was her mom being so cool about this?

"Okay, so were sitting and I dropped my pencil. Then, we both leaned down to get it at the same time and we just looked at each other. He was staring at me weird and then he kind of started leaning in-"

"So he did but a move on you! How dare that little twerp!" interrupted Lorelai once again. Rory just continued.

"But the thing is, I think I wanted him to kiss me. If Luke hadn't walked in, I actually might have." She confessed. Just saying it out loud made her feel better.

"So does this mean Dean was right? Do you…_like Jess?" _The last to words came out as emotion-less as Lorelai could muster. She wanted to be supportive. Dean and Rory wouldn't be together forever and if Rory liked Jess, well then, she'd have to deal with it.

"I'm not sure. I'm still so confused. What if I'm imagining it? What is Jess wasn't going to kiss me? What if he only likes me as a friend?" asked Rory dejectedly.

"If he was going to kiss you, you'd know." replied Lorelai reassuringly.

"It definitely felt like he was going to kiss me." They drifted into a comfortable silence as they settled back onto the couch and started the movie. Both of there heads were filled with thoughts. Lorelai with thought of how old her daughter was getting and Rory's with doubts and questions about Jess and her failing relationship with Dean.

"Mom?" asked Rory from the opposite end of the couch.

"Yeah kid?"

"I think I need to talk to Dean tomorrow."

"Just, let him down easy." Was her only reply and she nodded. It was Lorelai's way of saying that it was okay with her and that she would back any decision Rory made, even if she didn't like it. It was a silent agreement.

"So anything interesting happen to you while I was gone?" asked Rory happily.

"Oh yeah, tons of things…

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**To Be Continued…**

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	2. Much Ado About Nothing

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Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Two

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**Luke's Diner: Morning: Day After Jess's Tutoring Session**

Lorelai sat at the table sipping coffee, while watching her nervous daughter pace back in forth in front of her. They were alone in the Diner, with the only exception being an older man and his wife reading the newspaper.

"I can do this. I can do this, _I can do this." _She paused while looking at her mother. "I changed my mind, I can't do this." sighed Rory as she plopped down onto the chair next to Lorelai.

Lorelai just watched her, remembering her first time breaking up with a boy. She had sent him a note in the middle of math class that simply said 'I've decided to become a cloistered nun, therefore making it impossible for me to see you anymore. Sorry. Your highly religious Ex-Girlfriend, Lorelai Gilmore.' He had run out of the room crying and everyone called him Craig _Cry_-del from that day after.

"You can do this Rory; breaking up is easy. Believe me, I do it all the time. I'm a master at it." Lorelai interjected proudly. Rory just looked at her oddly.

"Do you think I should write out what I'm going to say before I say it? That way I'm prepared." She continued.

"Yeah, and then I can stand in front of you with a teleprompter. It'll be like the news except I'm not a fat, hairy camera man and your not a dumb blonde with breasts that could poke someone's eyes out." Lorelai replied, smiling.

"Then what am I supposed to do? I like to be prepared. _I need to be prepared."_

"Okay, I've got one. I've used it many a time. It's witty _and_ original." She didn't finish and Rory just looked at her expectantly. "What?"

"Tell me! Dean could be here any second." She replied anxiously.

"Okay…are you sure your ready for this one?" She was teasing her now, Rory knew it.

"Yes, I'm sure I can handle it…"

"Just simply say 'It's not you-" She stopped for affect and Rory just rolled her eyes. "-it's that new guy I've been seeing' or another classic 'Let's just be friends. After all, friendship is just another phase of a relationship that we only give to people who suck.' I used that last one on your Dad when we broke up the first time. You should have seen the look on his face." She rambled.

"Your not helping!" Rory hissed as she got up from the table and began pacing again.

"Hey, I gave it my best shot. It's not my fault you care about people's feelings, didn't get it from me." Lorelai said as she shook her head in mock forlorn.

"I'm not good with this. I can't do relationships. I can do AP Chemistry, but relationships? No. Of all the genes you and Dad could give me I had to inherit your incapability to keep a good relationship."

"It's not my fault I bore easily! Besides, I've had plenty of good relationships." Replied Lorelai in fake defense.

"Name one."

"There was…his name, it was…um…" She searched her head for any relationship she had been in that hadn't ended without heart break. She drew a blank.

"That's what I thought." Rory replied triumphantly. There had to be at least_ one. _Then she thought of it. Keith, possibly the only good relationship she had ever had.

"No wait! In second grade there was this kid named Keith and he gave me his tuna sandwich in lunch when I forgot my money." She answered proudly.

"Mom, you hate tuna."

"Yeah, but I used it to throw at the teacher's head and knock of his toupee. Then Keith told everyone he did it and had to clean the chalk boards. It was the sweetest thing a guy ever did for me." She explained dreamily.

"How romantic." Interrupted Luke as he set there scrambled eggs in front of them.

"Isn't it?" asked Rory sarcastically. But Lorelai wasn't listening, she just looked at Rory and motioned towards the window where a certain floppy-haired bagboy was crossing the street and heading towards the diner.

"Oh my God, he's going to come in! What do I do? Do I kiss him hello? Do I even say hello? Do I smile? I can't do this. Mom, _help_." She was freaking out now, and loosing her nerve.

"Oh no, don't you even think about it. I am not breaking up with Dean for you. This is one thing that Mommy will take no part in." said Lorelai, noticing the hopeful look in Rory's eyes. "Besides I think he'd notice if you suddenly disappeared."

"Who'd notice?" It was Jess. He saw them looking at Dean and smirked. Jess had watched her pace around all morning. Something was going on and he had a feeling that it was about last night. He hadn't known why it happened, all he knew was that he wanted to kiss her so he'd tried and then _Luke. _He could almost taste it. What would have happened if he had never interrupted? Would she have kissed him back? He knew she had wanted to kiss him. But there was _someone_ in the way.

"I wouldn't worry about Dean, I don't think he notices much of anything." He was still smirking at her as he said this and she tried not to blush. This was too much.

"Mom, I'm gonna go, now. I'll see all of you later. Bye Jess, Luke." She shot Lorelai a pleading look on her way out and met Dean outside the Diner's entrance.

"Hey Rory, I saw you guys in the Diner, I was just coming to see you…" He noticed the guilty look on her face and his smile dropped. "What's wrong?"

"Why don't we sit down?" She asked uneasily and he hesitantly followed her to a bench. Something in her tone made him want to just walk away and come back later.

"What's going on?" It was a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. He had known her long enough to see when something was wrong with her.

"I'm going to college at the end of next year." She stated. He just looked at her, even more confused then before. "I'm not ready yet Dean."

"Ready for what?" He was clueless to what she was talking about and he definitely didn't like where this was going.

"I'm not ready to go to college. I'm from a small town, and I've only had one boyfriend, and I've had no time to experience anything. I haven't had the chance to make any mistakes." She explained carefully.

"So in other words..?"

"I think we should take a break." She watched his face fall. To her surprise, he didn't look angry only concerned.

"A break?" The words echoed in his head. Rory was breaking up with him.

"I'm not saying it will be forever, though. I just need a chance to experience new things, go on dates. I need a chance to fail and succeed on my own. And I can't do it with you."

"So I'm just some expendable guy that you can break up with because your 'too busy' but when you free up some of your precious time you might consider getting back with me?" He voice was rising and he was desperately trying to keep the anger and hurt from surfacing.

"No, it's just…were growing apart. Every time we see each other, it's like forced conversation and meaningless small talk. Were different people then we were two years ago. Don't you see it?"

"No Rory, I don't see it. I'm in love with you, I know your in love with me. We belong together…" His voice cracked at his last words. His anger was slowly being replaced with sadness.

"Dean, I can't make you understand this. It's just something I need to do."

"We were doing fine." He said quietly. Rory just looked at him sadly. He suddenly wanted to leave. "But, I guess I'm wrong."

"We can still be friends right?" She asked hopefully.

"I don't know." Is all he could say as he quickly got up and walked off. Rory stared after him, she felt a mixture of sadness and relief take over her. She had done it, all on her own. She hadn't even planned out the words ahead of time and she had done it. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction overtake her as she walked back into the Diner to meet her mom once again. Lorelai was at the counter 'talking' with Luke when Rory sat down next to her on the stool.

"Oh my God, you chickened out," said Lorelai as she looked Rory over.

"No, it just went a lot better then I thought it would," she replied.

"So what do you want to do now?" Lorelai asked expectantly.

"I thought I'd go read for a little bit, you can set up the couch for Dad. And then of coarse, I have to come here and help Jess study again…"

"This is the one and only time I will let you get away with not wallowing. In fact, as soon as you get home tonight the wallowing begins, Chris or no Chris" Said Lorelai matter-of-factly.

"Consider me warned." stated Rory as she took her last sip of coffee and left the dinner.

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The Bridge: Late Afternoon **

Rory sat at the bridge reading. It was the best way to take her mind off things, getting yourself lost in a book. She was so engrossed in the story that she didn't notice Jess as he walked up next to her.

"Much Ado About Nothing?" He asked, referring to the book in her hand. Upon hearing his voice she nearly fell into the lake, but quickly regained her composure.

"I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow then a man swear he loves me." She quoted, her eyes fixed on the water in front of her.

"Why so cheery?" He inquired sarcastically.

"Bad day."

"So you decided to read Shakespeare?" He asked while lifting an eyebrow. "Aren't you a glutton for punishment."

"Hey, it's a good book. I think Beatrice is my hero." Jess just looked at her oddly.

"She winds up marrying Benedick, how smart can she be?"

"True, but she doesn't conform. Like in _Taming of the Shrew_ Katharine completely changes character. Beatrice never does. In fact, she uses her hold on Benedick to get what she wants. I find that inspiring." She deadpans.

"Didn't know you were such an activist." He replied as he sat down.

"Yeah well guy's suck." She looked at him for a second, realizing, she was in fact, talking to a guy. "No offense." She saved quickly.

"None taken." Was his simple reply. He knew something was going on with her but he didn't want to press the issue. Besides, this was Stars Hollow, if anything big had happened he would know by the end of the day.

"So, read any good books lately?" She asked with a smile.

"Nothing really, I read _Of Mice and Men_ again._"_

"Steinbeck?" She asked incredulously. "I read that when I was twelve. It was okay, but I still can't believe George shot Lennie."

"He was going to die anyway." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but Lennie trusted George and then George used that trust so he could shoot him. That's heartless."

"No, that's life. Lennie killed Curley's wife, as annoying as she was, it was still wrong. And I'm sure Curley could have found a much more painful way to kill him. Lennie should consider himself lucky." Rory contemplated this for a second and Jess watched her curiously.

"Curley's wife was not annoying." Jess couldn't help but smile. This was her way of admitting defeat.

"She was bitter because she married the wrong guy so she just ran around trying to seduce everyone. She even tried to seduce Lennie. How low can you get?" He played along.

"She was lonely." Rory began. "She didn't have anyone, and because she was _forced_ to marry Curley she lost her dream of becoming an actress. Not one guy in the whole book even called her by her first name. She was known as 'Curley's wife' until the day she died."

"You're cracked."

"You know I'm right." She replied happily.

"I didn't say that." He insisted. Rory just looked at him and then quickly glanced back at the water. There it was again, that tingly feeling.

"I've got to go." She said suddenly, while lifting herself of the bridge. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah…" He replied as he watched her hurried form leave the bridge. He just couldn't figure this girl out.

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**To Be Continued...

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	3. Happy Bubbles

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Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Three

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**Gilmore Home: Night: After the Bridge Scene**

"Mom?" Rory called as she opened the door to her darkened home. She flipped on the lights and headed for the living room. "Mom, are you home?"

There was no answer. She quickly looked around for the phone. She needed someone to talk to and her mom wasn't there. It was time to fill Lane in.

"_Kim's Antiques."_ Came Lane's voice from the other line.

"Do you have a death wish?" Rory asked, surprised. "Since when are you allowed to answer to the phone?"

"_Thank God, I finally have contact with the outside world."_ Replied Lane dramatically. _"My mom's gone and she left me in charge of the shop. Which means, I've been sitting here by the phone for three straight hours! I think my head is going to implode."_

"I can't believe your mom left you in charge of the whole store _and the phone_. That's like asking Bill Clinton to hold your French fries."

"_I don't really think she had a choice. She got a call last night from my Uncle Lee_." informed Lane dejectedly.

"That's never good. What did he want this time?"

"_He just thought he'd inform us of his plans to come and visit. Isn't that nice?"_ She replied sarcastically. _"He's bringing the whole family, Mae, Jin, and Zoo."_

"How much time do you have?"

"_He's coming today. Which brings us to the reason of my mom's absence. She driving to the airport to pick them up as we speak."_

"I still don't understand why your mom puts up with him."

"_He's her older brother, she has to. Personally, I think this anti-feminism thing really sucks. " _

"I agree." Stated Rory as she opened the closet in the hall way. She reached for the blankets on the top shelf and a series of box's came tumbling down on her. "Ow! Shoot."

"_You okay?"_ asked Lane suspiciously.

"Yeah, I just got attacked by an army of crystal candle sticks and…" She picked up the record that had fallen at her feet. "Oh my God! My mom has a _Sugar Ray _album back here!"

"_Tell me your joking."_ Lane stated in horror.

"No, I'm completely serious. I have to show my Dad this. He'll have a heart attack." said Rory as she gave the cover a look over.

"_Want me to come over a douse the place in holy water? We've got plenty to spare._" offered Lane hopefully.

"Somehow I don't think your mom would appreciate that, even if it is for a good cause."

"_I guess your right. I'll just have to stay here and do…absolutely nothing." _She replied dismally.

"You can give me advice…" offered Rory as she began to pick up the objects that scattered the floor.

"_As long as it's not something stupid, like how to wear your hair. I want something big. Something that will get me through another hour of staring at wood_. Something _like-" _

"I like Jess." Rory blurted out.

"_Now that's a little drastic-"_

Rory cut her off again. "No, I really do like Jess."

"_Wow."_ Silence. _"When did this happen?"_

"He tried to kiss me yesterday." Stated Rory as she picked up a pillow and played with the frill.

"_What about Dean?"_

"I broke up with him this morning." She stated matter-of-factly.

"_Wow." _

Silence.

"Anything else to say?" asked Rory hopefully.

"_Yeah, next time you see Jess, tell him I want my pen back." _She stated simply.

"Why am I the only one freaked out about this? Someone's supposed to be mad. Someone's supposed to yell at me and call me stupid for even considering this, and all I've gotten is 'Don't forget to wallow' and 'I want my pen back."said Rory exasperatedly.

"_Well, I'm assuming you want to be with him so what's the problem?"_

"I don't know how to do this. He's so different then Dean." She thought for a second. She just couldn't formulate the words. "It just feels _different_. I don't know how I'm supposed to tell Jess."

"_How about, you just grab him and kiss him. I think that'll get the point across." _Stated Lane cheerfully.

"You, not helpful."

"_Eh, what can I say? My boy knowledge isn't very extensive."_ She remembered the last date she was on. The boy had kissed her goodnight and she had sworn he was wearing watermelon chapstick.

"I guess I'll go and just wing it."

"_You're not good with winging it."_ Lane pointed out. _"It usually results in you making a complete fool out of yourself or ending up in the hospital with a fatal wound."_

"Gee, thanks for the support." She replied sarcastically.

"_Hey, what are friends for? See ya."_

"Bye." She hung up the phone and threw it into one of the empty boxes next to her. She felt relieved, the talk with Lane was exactly what she needed. Even if she hadn't gotten any good advice out of it, she still felt better.

Now came the hard part, _actually doing something about Jess_. She got up reluctantly and headed into her room to get dressed. She had to be at Luke's in a half an hour.

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**Luke's: Later that Night**

She had walked to Luke's, all the while receiving worried glances. _The town knew_. This would be a long night.

"Ah Rory, you're here." Said Luke. His voice was filled with concern. He knew that something was going on with Dean and Rory, judging by their conversation that morning. But by the bits and pieces he had heard throughout the day, he hadn't expected Rory to be leaving the house this soon.

"Yeah um… is Jess around?" Great, Luke knew too, _but did Jess?_

"He's upstairs. You can get him if you want." He stated carefully. He was acting like she was going to break down and cry at any moment.

"Okay…" She headed for the stairs as a number of worried eyes followed her. She just shook her head, wondering how far out of proportion the town had blown the whole situation. She finally reached the door and knocked tentatively.

No answer.

She knocked again, more forcefully this time, and he answered, dressed in only a towel. Her cheeks instantly turned a deep red.

"Jeez, Luke! I was in the-" He stopped, looking at the blushing girl in front of him. She was staring. He fought hard to hold back a smirk but didn't succeed. "If were going to study, I should probably get dressed. Unless you want me to go like this and in that case pull up a chair. Let the learning begin."

Against all odds, she blushed deeper. "I'll wait downstairs." She said as she quickly headed back down the hall.

This was going to be a _really_ long night.

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**Kim's Antiques: Night**

Lane was half asleep at the counter when a car pulled up in from of the store. She didn't know whether to be relieved that the long wait was over or terrified about what was yet to come. These family visits were never good. Uncle Lee always managed to put Mama Kim in a bad mood, leaving Lane to pick up the pieces.

She watched through the window as three children exited the car. Her Uncle wasn't with them.

"Lane, help Jin bring in the bags." Mama Kim stated shortly upon entering.

"Yes Mama." She never got an explanation, only an order.

"Lane! I missed you so much!" cried the little boy as he ran over and hugged his cousin excitedly. She looked down at him happily. He still had that Yankee's cap fastened around his head. The same one she had given him on his third birthday. He was six now, but he still wore it.

"I missed you too, Zoo."

"Hah, you rhymed." He pointed out. Six year olds are great at stating the obvious.

"He hasn't stopped talking about you for weeks." stated the teenage girl that stood in front of them. Her dark hair fell into her face and she quickly tucked it back behind her ear. Lane wondered why Mae never cut it, it ran halfway down her back and it was always getting in the way.

"He's annoyed us the whole flight with that stupid song you taught him. If I have to hear '_Drug stabbin' time, Is from nine to nine' _one more time I'm going to put my head through a wall. Couldn't you pick a better song to teach a kindergartener?" asked the 15 year old boy as he struggled to get all the suitcases through the door.

"Nice to see you to Jin. And if you expect to stay here, you will keep all of your musical opinions to yourself." Stated Lane with a fake smile on her face. Jin was the only relative of hers that dared argue with her about music. He'd never win, but he'd argue none the less.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say." She could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "So where do I put these?"

"Your all staying in my room. There's three beds. One for me and one for Zoo. Which means, one of you guys has to sleep on the floor."

"I am not sleeping on the floor." declared Jin in disgust.

"Well, either am I!"

"I slept on the floor last time." Jin pointed out.

"You did not! I did!"

And the fun began.

**

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Luke's: Night**

"I'm bored." Stated Jess as he picked up the glass of Sprite in front of him. They had been studying Spanish vocabulary for the last hour. No mention of the 'towel incident' had occurred. Rory had skillfully avoided the subject.

"Jess, just repeat after me. _Atropellar."_

"There are a lot of bubbles in this glass…hundreds of bubbles." Rory sighed heavily as she watched Jess stare at the cup like it held all seven wonders of the world. "It's like a Mini-Jacuzzi."

"Why are you making this so difficult?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Would you like to go out sometime?" He asked as he took his eyes of the glass. Rory just looked at him, shocked.

"_What?_"

"Do. You. Want. To. Go. Out. Sometime?" He repeated slowly. Rory just looked at him blankly.

"What do you mean _out_?" She was skipping around the question, they both knew it

"I don't know. To eat or something?"

"I just broke up with Dean this morning." She stated matter-of-factly.

"There's no pressure. It'll just be food. Food you've probably already eaten before, just with different company."

"No pressure?" she repeated questioningly.

"No pressure." He reassured her.

"Okay, I can do that."

"Good. Now where were we?"

"_Atropellar_." She repeated.

"Bubbles." He said while staring at the glass once again.

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**To Be Continued...

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	4. Let the Pillows Fly

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Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Four

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**Gilmore Home: Christopher's Return: Night **

"Watch it Lor, I've got my Offspring CD's in there."

"Oops." Said Lorelai as she purposely dropped Christopher's bag on the hardwood floor and kicked it.

"Very nice."

"Hey, you knew those CD's were in danger when you brought them with you, that was self-inflicted." Stated Lorelai matter-of-factly. Christopher just shook his head. He had missed Lorelai, her coffee addiction, and her hatred for Offspring. He was glad to be home. Hell, he was glad to have a place to call home.

"So where's our daughter?"

"She's out…saving the whales, feeding the poor, helping the little…midgets in wheelchairs walk again."

"Wow, she's very well-rounded." Replied Christopher while trying to keep the amusement of his face.

"I'm freaking out."

"You? Never."

"It's just, she's…me! She's me sixteen years ago and Jess is you sixteen years ago and she's going to fall for him and give up everything for him and…I want to kick his ass!"

"Did you get enough coffee this morning?"

"I should have told her that I didn't like him but no, I had to be the cool mom." She continued.

"Did you have _too much_ coffee?" Lorelai stared at him blankly.

"You say that as if it's physically possible." She deadpanned.

"Right, what was I thinking?"

"This is stupid. I'm freaking out for nothing." Sighed Lorelai as she plopped down onto the couch.

"Exactly." Agreed Chris as he took a seat next to her.

"I think I know what I need to do."

"What?"

"I gotta find someone more cynical to talk to about this."

"Come on, the kid can't be that bad."

"That's exactly what my dad said about you and then I ended up sixteen and pregnant."

"Yeah but you can't just lock her in the laundry room until she's done being a teenager."

"Why not?" asked Lorelai innocently.

"There's probably some type of law against it." He replied as he snaked is arm around her shoulder. She just looked at him happily.

"I'm glad your back."

"Yeah?" She nodded. "Me too." He replied as she rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

**Luke's Diner: Later that Night**

Jess sat up in bed, trying desperately to focus on the copy of _Othello _in his hands. But he knew it was pointless. There were too many thoughts swirling around in his head, most of a certain Rory Gilmore. The same Rory Gilmore who he had asked out and who had said yes.

_Rory had said yes._

He just couldn't get his head around that fact. He had asked her out and she had said _yes_. Of course he had added the whole 'no pressure' thing but what did it matter? Rory Gilmore was going to go out with _him_. He fought the overpowering urge to go do a victory dance in front of Dean.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Luke, successfully interrupting Jess's internal happy hour.

"Well it seems your charming attitude is finally rubbing off on me. Good work, my mother would be proud."

"Real funny Jess."

"Oh stop it, your embarrassing me." Jess retorted, as he rolled his eyes.

"You know, she just broke up with Dean this morning."

"Huh." He replied shortly. Jess knew where this was going and he wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

"They were together for two years Jess."

"Look, I'm going to bed now alright?" He stated as he rolled over and shut off the light. Luke continued to talk in the darkness.

"You need to give her time to heal."

Silence.

"She loved Dean."

More silence.

Luke was getting annoyed. He knew Jess couldn't fall asleep that fast.

"Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" When Jess didn't reply he picked up a pillow and whipped him in the head with it.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For being a pain in the ass."

"You need anger management." Mumbled Jess as he rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head.

**

* * *

Gilmore Home: Nighttime**

Rory was walking on air as she reached her front porch. She could hear her mother's laughter from the living room. It made her smile. Everything in her life was falling into place. Jess had asked her out. Her dad had come to live with them. _Her mom was finally happy._ It was perfect.

"Oh my God." She tried not to laugh at the scene in front of her. Her mom and dad were sitting in front of the television with a pile of videos next to them. Popcorn lay strewn about the floor and in her mother's hands was a pillow held threateningly close to her dad's head. "What are you guys doing?"

"Nothing." Replied Lorelai innocently as she pelted him.

"That's it." He stated as he picked up another pillow off the floor. "This is war."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" He replied daringly as he threw the pillow, missing her only by a few inches.

"Rory, you might want to leave the room. This could get ugly."

"Now Mom, violence is not the answer." Stated Rory as she walked over to her father. "Dad was merely defending himself."

"See, I always knew she liked me better." Stated Chris smugly.

"You wish."

Lorelai watched in amusement as Rory picked up the pillow from behind him and smacked in the side of the head. This was definitely her daughter.

"Traitor." He muttered as he rubbed the side of his face.

"I've taught her well. Convincing isn't she?"

"Terrifyingly so." He replied as he found his way to the couch. Rory just smiled, pleased with herself.

"So, you're happy. Did you and Jess make out again?" asked Lorelai, trying not to laugh at the shocked look on Christopher's face. One minute she was telling him how horrible the kid was and now she was being completely open about the whole situation. It fascinated him.

"We did not make out! We didn't even kiss." Defended Rory, while trying to hide the blush that threatened to creep across her cheeks.

"You actually studied the whole time?" She nodded. "Sometimes I wonder if you actually are my child. If it wasn't for your insane coffee addiction, I'd think you were switched at birth."

"No, she's definitely your daughter." confirmed Chris as he looked at Rory fondly.

"So if you didn't make out, what happened?"

"Nothing really." She replied evenly. "There was this incident with a towel and then he uh..he…heaskedmeout."

"Towel incident?" questioned Lorelai, as she lifted an eyebrow.

"Never mind." she said quickly, he cheeks turning redder, much to her parent's enjoyment.

"Oh no. You don't just say something like 'towel incident' and then let my mind wander. That's just cruel."

"And believe me, letting her mind wander is never a good thing." Warned Chris. Lorelai glared.

"Fine. I went up to Luke's apartment and he answered the door in a towel. Happy?"

"Extremely. So, was he…?" asked Lorelai, watching as the comment accomplished it's desired effect.

"Mom!"

"Come on, I know you looked!" accused Lorelai as she watched her daughter blush a deeper red.

Chris as he shook is head disapprovingly. "You're going to get arrested for sexual harassment."

"Can we change the subject?" asked Rory.

"Sure, let's discuss the little jumble of words you threw in at the end there. I believe, when translated into English, they went along the lines of 'He asked me out."

"Yeah, um…he asked me to go out to eat with him sometime…and I kind of said yes."

"He didn't waste any time did he?" interjected Chris as laid back on the couch, his arms behind his head.

"It's not like that. Were just going to go eat something and then…" She trailed off.

"Make out." Added Lorelai.

"We are not going to make out!"

"Sure, you say that now…"

"I'm serious, me and Jess will never make out, ever!" exclaimed Rory stubbornly.

"Can I get that in writing?" asked an extremely pleased Lorelai.

"Your impossible."

"Amazing women isn't she?" Threw in Chris proudly. Rory glared at him and then threw a pillow in his direction.

"Did you see what your daughter just did?"

"Yeah, she has violent tendencies." Stated Lorelai as she picked up another pillow and advanced towards him. "I think she gets them from my side of the family."

And another pillow flew in his direction.

"You guys are not going to get away with this." He replied as he rolled of the couch.

"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do about it?" she replied as he picked up the fallen pillow and threw it, hitting her square in the face. "Come on Rory, your father's going down."

Let the pillows fly.

**

* * *

Kim House: Nighttime**

Lane lay on her bed, a pillow wrapped tightly around her head. Zoo slept next to her, snoring loudly in her ear.

"Can't you get him to stop?" asked an annoyed Mae from the bed.

"No." she answered shortly. It seemed that even the tiniest remark was getting on her nerves. They had spent the last hour arguing over the bed and she was sure that the next hour would be spent arguing over Zoo's loud snoring.

"Stick a blanket over his head." Said Jin from the floor.

"He'll suffocate."

"Well at least he won't be able to snore anymore."

"Okay, I'm ignoring you now."

Silence.

"I can't sleep." Lane fought the urge to pummel him into the ground. He was too outspoken for a fifteen year old. "Are you guys asleep?"

"No we're not asleep."

"Good, let's talk about something."

"It's 3 o'clock in the morning." Lane stated matter-of-factly.

"Don't you want to know why were here?"

"I bet you'll tell me whether I want to hear it or not." She replied as he sat up in bed.

"Okay, yesterday we were eating dinner and dad got a call from someone. Then he got all mad, threw the phone down and told us we were coming here."

"That's it?"

"Pretty much."

"Can I sleep now?" she asked hopefully.

"How can you sleep through that snoring? It's like a pig on steroids."

Lane just groaned and wrapped the pillow tighter around her head.

* * *

**To Be Continued...

* * *

**


	5. Who Wants to Be Whipped?

**

* * *

**

Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Five

* * *

Rory groaned and rolled over, successfully falling off the couch with a soft thud. She looked around the room, her eyes still adjusting to the light seeping in through the window. A stack of blankets lay on the floor, a note sat on top of them.

_Well I see you took your sweet time getting out of bed. Tsk, tsk. I guess you get to miss out on Luke's. _

–_Mom_

_P.S. Don't yell at the paper, it's completely innocent. Call my cell. _

She smiled as she picked up the phone, last night had been fun. _Family_ fun.

"Hello?" The voice that answered was a older women, definitely not her mother.

"Hi, I think I have the wrong number."

"No honey, it's Patty. Your mom stepped out for a second."

"_Put the phone down, or get out of my Diner." _called Luke from the background. He sounded angrier then normal and Rory knew why.

_Chris._

"Don't be such a downer Luke. Women don't like men with bad attitudes." She could practically hear Luke roll his eyes. "Which reminds me…" Here it comes. "Babette told me about you and the boy from the market." She cringed.

"Yeah um…we kind of grew apart and…" She trailed off, not knowing how to finish. She was talking to the town gossip, best to be as vague as possible.

"Say no more, I completely understand. Every women gets bored, it's only a matter of time. No one blames you for leaving Dean. Now you can move on to bigger and _badder_ things." She recognized the meaning behind that statement and it caused her to feel pity for Jess. Ms. Patty had a bad habit of undressing people with her eyes. If she were Jess, she'd be terrified.

"Yeah." She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing.

"Don't be modest, Rory. I've seen the way he looks at you. Is he feisty? I bet he's feisty. A lot of bad boy's like it rough." Rory was never a religious person but if there was a God out there, she hoped he was hearing this. "My third week on Broadway, I met this wonderful man. His name was Charles. He liked everything; handcuffs, ropes. He was quite the fan of the whip for a time-"

"Oh god." She nearly gagged on her own saliva.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, are you too young for this?"

"Yes." She squeaked quickly. The mental images continued to swirl around her young head.

"Just realize that no one blames you for moving on so quickly. Dean will get over it, the boy can only cry for so long." She suddenly felt guilty. She really liked Jess but she had loved Dean for two years. How could she have forgotten about him so fast? She hadn't even wallowed correctly and now she was planning on going on a date with another guy? What would Dean think? _What would the town think?_

"And Jess is definitely something to look at. Now that I think about it, he reminds me of this other man I dated. Gary was more of the love 'em and leave 'em type but once you got him tied down, he was _all_ yours."

"_Patty? What are you doing with my cell phone?" _Lorelai's voice was a breath of fresh air. If there was any doubt in her mind that she was her best friend, it was gone now.

"Oh, don't worry dear. Me and Rory were just having a friendly discussion."

"_Friendly, huh?"_

"Of course." She replied innocently, flashing her patented Ms. Patty smile. There was a brief shuffling as the phone changed owners and footsteps as she exited the diner.

"Hi daughter."

"Don't you 'hi daughter' me! I'm experiencing mental images that involve Ms. Patty, a whip and some guy named Gary who looks a little too much like Jess!"

She tried not to laugh at her daughter's desperation. "There goes my breakfast."

"I think I need to wash my brain out with soap! Where were you?"

"Your dad had a little accident."

"What do you mean?"

"Luke accidentally dropped a tray of orange juice in his lap."

"Accidentally?" Somehow Rory knew it wasn't an accident.

"Yeah, he tripped."

"Tripped?" she repeated, letting the doubt creep into her voice.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"I do it's just…" _He's in love with you and you… "_Nothing, I forgot what I was going to say."

"Are you sure you're alright? You're starting to scare me."

"I'm fine." She answered quickly. "Just a little tired."

"Well, I've got exactly 5 minutes and 32 seconds before Michel calls to tell me that I'm in danger of being close to late."

"Well, you can't miss that. Bye Mom."

"Bye, kid."

She sighed when she heard the click. Today would be an interesting day.

He couldn't sleep. Jess rarely could. The only place he found solace at was the bridge. It was quiet. It reminded him of Washington Square Park when he was little. He'd be so lost in a book that the noises around him would be completely drowned out.

He could lay back and sleep without worrying about interruption. Any trespassers would be given away the second they stepped onto the wooden blanks, giving him ample time to heighten his senses once again. But somehow today was different. No matter how hard he tried, Jess could do nothing but sit there and stare at the water. He couldn't even concentrate on the book in his hands.

He didn't like this feeling. He wasn't in control of his own actions anymore. He kept repeating that conversation over in his head.

_No pressure_.

Why had he said that? What did it mean? Could he touch her? Kiss her?

He smirked to himself as he thought about the latter. _Kissing Rory Gilmore._ He could definitely get used to that…and _various other things_.

"Don't get carried away, Mariano." He said to no one as he lifted himself into a standing position. He hadn't even been out with her yet and he was already letting his mind wander.

Maybe it was time to pay a certain Gilmore a visit.

* * *

She was in her pajamas, a box sat in front of her. She was going to mourn Dean and she was going to do it right. There would be no laughing or pillows or popcorn, just two boxes; one of tissues and one of Dean.

She opened the box and looked inside. The corn starch sat on the top and she smiled. Her first kiss. That kiss had been painfully similar to every other kiss she had shared with him. There was no variation but somehow it didn't matter. She'd be no where if it weren't for that kiss, blushing whenever a guy looked her way.

Next was a Valentine's Day card. She ran her hand over the pink lettering.

_Roses are red,  
Violets are blue.  
As night turns to day,  
And day into night,  
I am left remembering,  
This girl in my sight. _

_So as roses stay red,  
And violets are blue,  
While seconds pass by,  
I can't wait to see you. _

_-Julie Kerouac_

_With Love, _

_Dean Forester _

She smiled at the memory. Somehow it didn't matter that Dean had no clue who Julie Kerouac was. After all, It's the thought that counts.

Next was the bracelet. It was so simple and yet it meant the world to him. It was the symbol of their relationship and Jess had stolen it. Yes, she knew it was him, though she would never call him on it. It was one of the things that had attracted her to him in the first place. He had tried to silently break them apart. He was daring. He was scary yet thrilling at the same time.

She internally smacked herself for thinking of Jess at a time like this. That was like laughing at a funeral. It just wasn't allowed.

She looked back at the box, it's contained a few more cards, her formal dress, a stuffed animal, and a dried out tulip. She sighed, none of this was going to make her cry, it only made her feel guilty.

A knock at the door interrupted her internal struggle. She sighed heavily once again as she got to her feet and headed for the door.

"This better not be Babette." _That is definitely not Babette. _"Speak of the devil and he appears."

He was outside, leaning against the door frame. Her body immediately filled with panic. What if Babette saw? She would tell Ms. Patty and then everything she said would be true. She didn't want to flaunt this is in Dean's face.

She opened the door a crack before sticking her head out slightly. "Jess? What are you doing here?"

He smirked, _good question_. "I was looking over my history homework and it suddenly hit me. We never discussed what happened between World War I and World War II. Did time freeze? Did the world as we know it cease to exist?"

"Jess…"

"Hey, you're the tutor. I'm the student. You're supposed to know these things."

"Jess, why are you really here?"

"I don't know, why are you whispering and hiding behind the door?"

"Jess, just get in here." She stated as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him through the opening as quickly as possible. She pushed him against the door as she peeked her head out one last time.

He just watched her, his eyes dancing with amusement. She was walking on egg shells and didn't seem to notice that her hand was placed carelessly on his chest. He cleared his throat, hoping she would remove it before he was forced to retaliate.

She shut the door gently, satisfied that no one had witnessed his entry, and then looked at him. He looked downwards, motioning silently to her hand.

Her face immediately reddened as she dropped it to her side and looked at the ground. "Sorry."

"No problem." He tried not to smile as he looked her over. She was in her pajamas, her hair was tied back into a loose pony tail, and there was no make up to be seen. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I'm wallowing."

"Wallowing?" He repeated while lifting a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Never mind." She replied quickly. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'm good." His eyes met hers, causing her to shift uncomfortably. He shouldn't be doing this, he knew it but he didn't really care. He's made a point to ignore his conscience, it's never helped him in the past.

"Did you really come here to study?"

"No, not really."

"Then why did you come?"

"I was bored."

"Oh, well you can stay if you want. I've got plenty of junk food and movies. The house is surprisingly clean. I think my mom even put of load of laundry in this morning." She replied as she gave the room a look over. Since when did her mom go all Martha Stewart on her?

"That sounds good."

She smiled as she headed for the living room "Okay, the fun's this way."

* * *

"Chris, are you almost done?" He had been in the bathroom for over 15 minutes stubbornly insisting that 'He had to get the stain out.'

"I'll be out in a second."

"Chris." She whined. "Just let me in. I can help."

"I'm sorry Lor but I'm still a little uneasy after the last time you tried to help me with my laundry."

"That was sixth grade." She pointed out. She had accidentally turned his gym clothes pink and the basketball team had called him "Christopher _Gay-_den" for the rest of his sports career. She smiled at the memory. "My house wife skills have greatly improved."

"Oh really? Is that why you keep shoes in the oven and have a 40 year old jar of mayonnaise growing in the fridge?"

"That has been in there a long time hasn't it?" She thought to herself. When was the last time she had seen a jar of mayonnaise?

_Crash. _"Shit!"

"That's it I'm coming in." She almost died laughing as she entered the small bathroom. There was Chris, lying on the floor in a puddle of water, staring at the ceiling in defeat. "Nice view, huh?"

"Oh yeah. You can never fully appreciate a room until you've looked at it from this angle."

"You look like you peed your pants." She pointed out. Luke had done a great job with that orange juice.

"Thanks for the support."

"Luke's not usually that clumsy."

"Yeah well, I think he was too busy staring at you to realize much of anything."

"He wasn't staring at me."

"Oh please, the guy's completely in love with you." He replied as he go to his feet and brushed himself off. She just looked at him oddly.

Luke? In love with _her_? Yeah, right.

* * *

**To Be Continued...

* * *

**


	6. Harry Osbourne's a stinkin' show off

A/N: Slightly OOC because It's been long in coming.

* * *

Recap: Rory never got into the car accident during Teach Me Tonight. She broke up with Dean after she almost kissing Jess. Chris is back and living with the Gilmore's. Rory is still tutoring Jess and he has just shown up at her house. He claims that he's just dying to know what happened between the World Wars. Rory lets him in, knowing he's a filthy liar but not caring because, well, he's Jess and Jess cannot be denied.

* * *

Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Six

* * *

"Come on Jess, admit it. He looks just like you!" Jess sighed. Her didn't know why they had turned this movie on in the first place. _Spiderman_ had never been on his 'much watch before death' list, or had any other movie that involved a guy who swung around New York City in tights. But she had turned it on because it was a Saturday afternoon and what else was there to watch on a Saturday afternoon? Jess could think of a few things, anything in fact, that didn't involve the comparison of him to some comic book character. "Look at his hair. See how it sticks up in the front?" 

"Yeah, I noticed." He stated as he threw a glance sideways and scowled.

Rory smirked and let out a dramatic sigh. "He even walks the same way you do." She loved teasing him; it was something she rarely got to do. In fact, most of the time he was the one teasing her.

Jess glared. "Yeah, the only difference is that I can actually form an original thought."

"Right, and you never flaunt your intelligence in other people's faces." She agreed. "Like that whole spider comment. What a show off! You would never do something like that."

"Right."

She smirked again. "Like stealing someone's book and writing notes all over it. That's just not you."

Jess just stared at her blankly, admitting defeat. For some reason she had it in her head to mock him mercilessly and he knew that no matter how hard he tried there was no way he could deter her.

Rory smiled, her expression giddy. "Aw, you're so cute when you're pouting." As her words sunk in, her eyes widened and she blushed slightly. Jess raised an eyebrow at her, attempting to hold back his notorious smirk. _And the tables turn. _

"I mean—I don't think that…I was just saying…" She trailed off. His eyes were still glued to her face and it was unnerving, causing her to fidget. "I didn't mean it."

"You're doing wonders for my self-esteem." Jess deadpanned.

"Well…I don't not think…you are…what I said before. It's just that…" She was stalling as she picked her mind for a way to dig herself out of this hole. "I like your hair." She blurted out, eyes focused on memorizing the carpeting. _Someone get me a shovel. _

It was getting incredibly hard to hold back the array of comments that suddenly sprang to his mind. He went with the safe one. "Huh."

"Leave me alone," she stated, annoyed. "Right now it's about the only thing I like about you."

He tipped his head to the side. "Really? Just the hair?"

"Yes, the rest is all jack ass." She stated, matter-of-factly.

Jess just shook his head and continued to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she was pouting. Regardless of her shyness about the subject, he was more than happy to admit that she looked cute when she pouted. It was killing him that he wasn't able to kiss her. He could just look at her as she stared at the ground with those big, innocent doe eyes and attempt to refrain himself. _No pressure. _Again,what the hell did that mean? He took a deep breath and motivated his eyes to focus on something other than her lips. He was only punishing himself. It just wasn't healthy.

Rory, on the other hand, was starting to feel incredibly warm under his gaze. It was distracting and…unsettling. Finally, she furrowed her eyebrows and lifted her head to meet his eyes. Attempting to sound cool and unbothered she put as much ice into her tone as she could muster. "Why are you staring at me like tha…" The look he was giving her was enough of an answer. "Oh." She stated as she glanced away quickly, her ears turning red. That look. It made her want to grab him by the collar and smash her mouth to his. The only problem was that she had never done that before. In fact, she had never actually initiated a kiss with anyone in her entire life. _Besides, he probably doesn't even like me in that way._ She thought, ignoring the fact that he had asked her out not twenty-four hours ago_. I just need to focus on something else, change the subject. _It was a simple course of action but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The tension was something she had never experienced before. The sensation left her on edge and, God help her, _she liked it_.

"Jess…I…" She started while looking up at him. What was she saying again? She didn't really know. Words failed her as she unconsciously inched closer to him. Jess just sat back and waited to see what she would do. "I want…" She gave up on trying to vocalize her feelings and just pitched forward, placing her hand on his jaw and kissing him.

Jess sure as hell wasn't about to let this opportunity pass as he kissed her back, placing his hand on the back of her neck. She sighed into his mouth. It felt good, really good. In fact, kissing Jess was right up there with reading Russian novels and eating junk food.

She wasn't exactly sure of what she was doing, so she just did the first thing that came to mind. She brought her hands to his hair and ran them through it. Jess kissed her harder, asking for entrance to her mouth and she whimpered. Dean had never done that, _ever_.

Jess reveled in the small sounds she continued to make, his hands rubbing small circles on the side of her hip, his tongue dueling with hers. When they finally broke apart for air, Rory looked at him, her eyes again turning into saucers. "I…I didn't mean to do that…I just…" She trailed off, fighting the urge to run to her room and slam the door. Instead she did her best to change the avert her attention to something else. "I…didn't you want to study?"

Jess smirked. "Study?" He asked as he moved to the side of her face, gently sucking on the skin he found there. "I'm not really that bored anymore."

"But we can't…you said that you wanted…" She paused, gasping at the sensation and closing her eyes. "Remember the World Wars?"

"Vaguely."

"Well, there was….great bitterness in Germany after the Treaty-" She whimpered as she felt his breath near her ear. "After the um…Treaty of Versailles." He found this entire conversation funny. He had never kissed a girl and had her spout out historical information.

"Europe was a powder ke-g." The last word came out in a gasp as he began to tug on her earlobe with his teeth. He smirked again as his lips traveled towards her neck. "Hitler…he created—he created the--" She stopped talking as he nibbled the soft flesh on her neck and let out a half moan. "_Jess…_"

"He created the…?" He trailed off as he continued his ministrations. He was really beginning to enjoy this new found studying technique. Maybe he wouldn't do so bad on his next History test after all…

* * *

After another fifteen minutes of scrubbing his orange-juice soaked pants, Chris gave up and headed back to the Gilmore house. The first thing he was going to do was change and then he was going to take Rory somewhere, maybe buy her something; it didn't matter. He just wanted to spend some time with his only daughter.

He entered the house while distractedlythinking of a way to make the stain less obvious. Hearing Rory's voice in the living room, he smiled. What he walked in on, however, was a father's worst nightmare. There she was, sitting on the living room couch and necking with some boy he had never met, but wanted to throw into incoming traffic. _"What the hell is going on here?" _He all but yelled, causing Rory to shove Jess off of her and to stare wide-eyed at her father.

"We were studying." She stammered, knowing the excuse was not going to fly.

"_Studying what?"_

Jess looked at Rory's distraught face and at the man in front of him, deciding on a rescue attempt. "History." He stated, his voice indifferent.

"History-You were studying history?" He repeated, letting the words bounce around in his head before continuing. "Rory, go in the kitchen. I need to talk to your friend. _Alone_."

"Dad…" She warned.

"Go!" He repeated, while motioning towards the kitchen. His eyes were on Jess and Rory glared at him before exiting. When she was gone, Chris spoke angrily. "Who the hell are you?"

"Do you really care?" He asked, while continuing their little staring contest. Chris contemplated this and realized that this must be the infamous Jess. Yeah, he and Lorelai were in complete agreement on the kid.

"You little-You were taking advantage of my daughter! You were…you were…" He tripped over the words as he motioned towards the couch. After pausing for a second he gained his fatherly initiative. Lorelai would thank him for this. "I don't want you hanging around Rory anymore."

"You think you can stop me from seeing her?" Jess asked, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

"No, I think I can stop you from seeing tomorrow."

"Forgive me if I don't feel threatened."

"I'd shut up if I were you."

"Yeah? Well I'm not you."

Chris took a deep breath, attempting to calm his nerves. Murdering a teenage boy was probably something Lorelai would frown upon. "Get out."

"Yes sir." Jess replied, letting sarcasm drip into his statement before grabbing his jacket and exiting.

Chris took a deep breath. _Mission accomplished._ He thought happily as he fell back on to the couch. Rory was much too young to be making out with boys, similar to his teenage self, on the couch in an empty house. He was too busy soaking in the glory of having saved his daughter's life that he had forgotten that she was still there.

"Dad," Yeah, she was didn't look too happy. "You're an idiot." She stated, her glare homicidal, before walking to her room and shutting the door loudly. He had no right. He didn't even know Jess!

Chris just sat there, replaying her words in his head before coming to every parent's favorite conclusion. "Ah, she'll thank me when she's older."

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *


End file.
